Bezos is a well-known space enthusiast who is spearheading a program funded by NASA to build a launch vehicle to take people into space. In his announcement of the Apollo 11 engine recovery project, Bezos said he was a 5-year-old boy when he watched the first manned mission to the moon unfold on TV in 1969.

“Without any doubt it was a big contributor to my passions for science, engineering, and exploration,” Bezos said in his statement.

Bezos, whose recovery plan was reported by MSNBC, said he understands that the engines belong to NASA. And if only one is recovered it likely will go to the Smithsonian Institution. But he said that if his team recovers more than one of the F-1 engines that powered Apollo 11 more than 40 years ago, he would like NASA to consider “making it available to the excellent Museum of Flight here in Seattle.”

Here is a statement from Bezos posted on his Bezos Expedition site:

I‘m excited to report that, using state-of-the-art deep sea sonar, the team has found the Apollo 11 engines lying 14,000 feet below the surface, and we’re making plans to attempt to raise one or more of them from the ocean floor. We don’t know yet what condition these engines might be in - they hit the ocean at high velocity and have been in salt water for more than 40 years. On the other hand, they’re made of tough stuff, so we’ll see.

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